


Why me?

by LiveLoveLaugh



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Communication, F/F, F/M, Multi, Polyamory, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-03-04
Packaged: 2018-03-16 08:58:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3482270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLoveLaugh/pseuds/LiveLoveLaugh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashley and James want to know why Shepard chose them. She tells them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why me?

The room was quiet as the three companions sat and simply enjoyed each other’s presence. James sat at the terminal, sending emails and checking the extranet for news about Earth. Shepard sat on the bed with her back against the headboard while Ashley laid beside her, reading her favorite book of poems with her head pillowed in Shepard’s lap. After a few minutes, Ashley closed her book and looked up at Shepard.

“Hey Skipper?”

“Yeah Ash?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Why me?” Shepard looked slightly puzzled by the question. Ashley could tell she was caught off guard and a bit confused, so she sat up and clarified her question. “I mean, why did you pick us? You can be with anyone in the world but you choose to be with us? Why? What makes us so special?”

Shepard looked from Ashley to James and could tell this was something they had put some thought into. James had closed the terminal and was looking down at the pair of them with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“James, come down here please.” He quietly stood and walked down into the small living area of the cabin. He took a seat on the bed next to Shepard, wrapping his arm around her waist. “It seems like you both thought about this a bit. Do you want the long answer or the short answer?”

“Both.” James said quickly.

“You never make anything easy, do you James?” Shepard said with a small laugh.

“You know me Lola.”

“Fine. Both it is then.” Shepard took a deep breath and looked from Ashley sitting on her right, her hand holding Shepard’s tightly, to James sitting on her left, his arm wrapped comfortably around her waist. “The short answer is I love you both. The long answer is… Well it’s complicated.”

“You know we’re always willing to listen.” Ashley said, placing a light kiss on the back of her hand.

“Yeah, especially when you’re telling us how great we are.” Jacob said with that cocky little grin that Shepard had come to love.

“Since you’re being cocky, I’m gonna start with Ashley,” said Shepard sticking her tongue out at James’ exaggerated pout. She turned to look at Ashley and thought for a moment before continuing.

“Ashley, you’ve been with me since the start. There were times when I felt like I had no idea what I was doing on the first Normandy, but you were always there encouraging and supporting me. Whenever I felt overwhelmed, you were there to help relieve some of my stress and put things back in perspective. I never would have been able to stop Saren and Sovereign without you. We had a rough patch after I ‘came back’ but I understand. It’s not everyday your girlfriend dies and is brought back to life. We got past that and I’m glad we did. I missed you more than you’ll ever know.” Shepard leaned over and gave Ashley a slow, sweet kiss. She then turned her attention to James.

“As for you James, you were there for me when I felt so alone. You barely knew me but you still defended me. At one of the lowest times in my life, you were there. You lifted me up out of the dark pit I was in and reminded me why I was fighting and why I couldn’t give up. When things went to hell and the world was literally burning around me, you were there. Both of you were there, with the Normandy, pulling my ass out of the fire. The thing that really made me realize how much I loved you was when you took the time to help me and Ashley get back to where we used to be. You saw how much we meant to each other, how much it hurt us to be apart, and you sat us down and made us talk it out like adults. I knew then I loved you just as much as I loved her and I couldn’t imagine my life without either of you in it.” Shepard stopped, took a deep breath, and looked at the skylight above her bed, trying to hold back the tears. While the question was a simple one, the answer left her emotionally drained. She loved Ashley and James and she knew they knew it, but she’d never put it into words before. It felt… cathartic to lay it all on the line like that. She felt the bed shift a bit as James moved to plant a kiss on her temple.

“Gracias mi amor. I love you too.”

“So do I,” said Ashley before quietly pressing a kiss to Shepard’s cheek. Eventually, all three sank into the bed, enjoying one another’s touch and presence while they could. Another mission would come in the morning but tonight, they had each other and that was all that mattered.


End file.
